VELA Investment Management LLC Buys 31,119 Shares of Valvoline (NYSE:VVV)

VELA Investment Management LLC raised its position in Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Free Report) by 36.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 115,392 shares of the basic materials company's stock after acquiring an additional 31,119 shares during the quarter. Valvoline accounts for about 1.3% of VELA Investment Management LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st largest holding. VELA Investment Management LLC owned approximately 0.09% of Valvoline worth $4,017,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its stake in Valvoline by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,893,648 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $466,492,000 after purchasing an additional 101,834 shares during the last quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP grew its position in Valvoline by 11.1% during the fourth quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 10,818,256 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $391,405,000 after purchasing an additional 1,080,114 shares in the last quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI boosted its stake in shares of Valvoline by 35.1% during the 4th quarter. Fiduciary Management Inc. WI now owns 4,221,275 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $152,726,000 after acquiring an additional 1,096,486 shares in the last quarter. Alua Capital Management LP boosted its holdings in shares of Valvoline by 5.1% during the 4th quarter. Alua Capital Management LP now owns 3,605,281 shares of the basic materials company's stock worth $130,439,000 after buying an additional 175,848 shares during the period. Finally, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Valvoline by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,608,067 shares of the basic materials company's stock valued at $94,362,000 after purchasing an additional 6,871 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.13% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Lori Ann Flees bought 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 27th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $33.78 per share, with a total value of $101,340.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer directly owned 46,614 shares in the company, valued at $1,574,620.92. The trade was a 6.88% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. 0.66% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Valvoline Price Performance

VVV traded up $0.83 on Friday, hitting $39.72. 800,684 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,514,052. Valvoline has a 12 month low of $31.02 and a 12 month high of $48.27. The business has a 50-day moving average of $35.71 and a two-hundred day moving average of $35.83. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.23, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.60. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 19.28 and a beta of 1.18.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 8th. The basic materials company reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.36 by ($0.02). Valvoline had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 106.36%. The firm had revenue of $403.20 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $405.38 million. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.37 earnings per share. The business's revenue was up 3.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts forecast that Valvoline will post 1.63 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

VVV has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $38.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 29th. TD Cowen initiated coverage on Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Valvoline from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and raised their target price for the company from $40.00 to $45.00 in a research note on Tuesday, June 3rd. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on shares of Valvoline from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, May 9th. Finally, TD Securities initiated coverage on shares of Valvoline in a report on Friday, April 4th. They set a "buy" rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $42.54.

Valvoline Company Profile

Valvoline Inc engages in the operation and franchising of vehicle service centers and retail stores in the United States and Canada. The company, through its service centers, provides fluid exchange for motor oil, transmission and differential fluid, and coolant; parts replacement for batteries, filters, wiper blades, and belts; and safety services, such as tire inflation and rotation, bulbs, and safety checks.